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Chilean Patagonia Travel Information

The Basics

Time

Electricity

Language

The official language is Spanish.

Travel Health

There are no vaccination requirements for entry to Chile, but a
typhoid vaccine is recommended for travellers other than short term
travellers who restrict their meals to major restaurants, hotels or
cruise ships. Dengue fever is on the increase and visitors should
take precautions against mosquito bites. Water is generally safe in
the cities, but should be treated in the rural areas; bottled water
is widely available for drinking. Santiago is severely polluted and
this could cause respiratory problems or eye irritations,
particularly from May to August. Travellers visiting the Andes
Mountains should be aware of altitude sickness, and ascend slowly
to allow the body to adjust. Healthcare in urban areas is adequate,
but hospitals and clinics are extremely expensive and usually
require payment in cash. Health insurance is strongly
recommended.

Tipping

Tips of 10% is expected in restaurants. It is not customary to
tip taxi drivers but it is usual to round up the fare if they help
with luggage. In general tipping small amounts is customary for all
services.

Safety Information

Chile is a politically stable country with very few threats to
the traveller. Incidences of pick-pocketing and mugging are on the
increase and travellers should take care of their belongings,
especially around tourist areas and bus stations, and avoid walking
alone late at night. Tourists should be particularly cautious in
the Lake District as theft is on the increase, and muggings are
becoming more common in popular walking areas such as Cerro San
Cristobal, Cerro Santa Lucia and Cerro Manquehue. There has been an
increase in reports regarding people receiving spiked drinks at
nightclubs and bars, particularly in Santiago. Avoid any
involvement in demonstrations, which take place from time to time.
Chile has a landmine problem, mainly restricted to border areas
adjacent to Peru and Bolivia in regions I and II, and Argentina in
region XII, and also in wilderness areas in those regions. Visitors
are advised to stick to marked roads, obey all signs and seek the
advise of local authorities if travelling to the border areas of
regions I, II or XII. The Chaiten volcano erupted on 2 May 2008
resulting in major ash fall and the evacuation of residents in the
areas of Chaiten and Futaleufu. The exclusion zone has been reduced
to 15 miles (24km) surrounding the volcano, but it is still active
and visitors are warned that a threat still exists.

Local Customs

Bargaining is not practiced in street markets or stores. It is
considered polite for smokers to offer cigarettes to travel
companions before lighting up themselves.

Business

Chilean business culture tends to be formal, and this includes
dress, which should also be conservative. In business, Chileans
should be addressed by their titles and surnames, unless otherwise
stated. Businesses are often family-run. Third party introductions
are indispensable when arranging a meeting, and developing a
personal relationship is key. Chileans stand very close when
conversing and it is impolite to pull away. Visitors are also
expected to re-confirm appointments before arriving at a meeting.
Foreigners should be on time for meetings, but it is not unusual
for the host to be 15-30 minutes late. On introduction, a firm
handshake and exchange of business cards is usual - cards should be
printed in both English and Spanish and care should be taken to pay
attention to the card before putting it away carefully. Business
hours are generally 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, with a two-hour
siesta over lunch.

Communications

The international access code for Chile is +56. The outgoing
code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for the
United Kingdom). The area code for Santiago is (0)2. Internet cafes
are available in the main towns. A number of telephone companies
offer different rates for national and international calls,
depending on the time of day. Public phones are widely available
and international call centres are available in most shopping
malls. Mobile phone companies have roaming agreements with most
international cell phone companies; otherwise mobile phones can
easily be rented. A GSM 1900 network is in operation. Internet
cafes are widespread, particularly in the big cities.

Duty Free

Travellers entering Chile do not need to pay customs duty on 400
cigarettes, 50 cigars (large or small) and 500g tobacco; 2.5 litres
of alcohol; and perfume for personal use. Meat products, flowers,
fruit and vegetables may only be imported if permission is given by
the Department of Agriculture in advance.

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